Alive
by Hopele33Romanti7
Summary: Grieving the loss off his best friend and love of his life, Morgan can't seem to get his life back to normal. Until one day at the BAU, he sees a familiar face. Determined, he wants a second chance at love. Will he get it? Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

*7 months ago*

"No baby. No. Stay with me Prentiss. No."

I held my hands to her abdomen around the chair leg that was stabbed into her.

She grabbed my hand. "Let me go." She whispered quietly but audibly.

I felt tears rush to my eyes.

"No. I'm not gonna let you go. You know why? Because you are my friend-" my voice broke. "You are my friend and you are my partner. And I am so proud of you. I know what you did for Declan and I am so proud of you. And I love you, Princess. So stay with me."

I reached with one hand to the chain underneath my kevlar. It held my mother's wedding ring. A piece of her that I carried around constantly. She had given it to me 2 years ago for when I found the right woman.

"Em. I love you more than anyone I have loved in my entire life. You are the most important person in my life. And I need you here. And that's not gonna change. Ever." I half sobbed putting the band on her left ring finger. "So I need you to stay here with me baby. Stay here. I need you. I love you." I whispered to her as I felt her start to fade.

The ambulance rushed in and took her on a stretcher and I couldn't move. I brought my knees to my chest and sobbed, before pulling myself together when Hotch and Rossi physically lifted me to my feet.

The ride to the hospital was the longest of my life. The silence in the waiting room as we waited for JJ to come report to us was even more unbearable. But when she came out and told us that Emily never made it off the table- I knew my life would never be the same.


	2. Chapter 2

*Present Day*

"Come on Sugar. Let's go out. I'll pick you out a smoking hot blonde and be your wingman." Garcia tried to persuade me to accompany her and Reid and JJ to another club for the millionth time since Emily. Again I could do nothing but decline.

"No baby girl. I'm gonna head home. Clooney needs to be fed and I need some rest. Next time." I half-assed promised, knowing I wouldn't take her up on it.

It just wasn't the same. It wasn't as fun dancing with anyone else. I smiled as I reflected on clubbing before the whole Doyle incident. It was always Emily's idea. I think that's why they all still do it. Because she would want us to. She always went in as a pair with me. We would dance with a few random people here and there but we always end up together, grinding, laughing, having fun, letting loose. Penelope's voice brought me back.

"Every prince charming needs a Princess baby." I winced at the nickname I called Emily. Garcia must have noticed too because she apologized instantly. "Maybe you're right Derek. Go feed your pup. Next time." She agreed.

Walking out of the BAU, I held a door open for a stranger, leaving JJ's office and when she turned in her hood to look at me to thank me, and I got a glimpse of a smile and dark brown orbs, until she turned away quickly, sobering and exiting as fast as she could. I could have sworn that was Emily.

I started to follow her but she lost me in the maze of shrubbery in the lawn. I shook my head. No way was that Emily. I checked the perimeter for her for another twenty minutes but no one was in sight. Trying to calm myself down, I walked to the car. I was just thinking about Em. That's why a girl who had similar features bore a striking resemblance to the raven haired beauty I know, I convinced myself.

Arriving home, I couldn't wait to shower and go to bed. I kicked my shoes off and went into the dark kitchen, accidently kicking Clooney's bowls. Food spilled all over the floor, and into his water.

I sighed and leaned down to pick up the mess when I stopped. Clooney's bowl was empty when I left this morning. How was it full again? I unclipped my gun and cleared rooms downstairs, all clean. When I cleared all the rooms upstairs but one, I walked into the bedroom and turned the lights on.

Scanning the room- I found no one was there. I dropped the gun on the nightstand. Clooney looked up at me from where he was laying at the foot of my bed. I patted his head and sat on the edge beside him, laying back and resting my eyes. Looking up at the light fixture was too much, so I turned my head to the side.

In doing so, I noticed paper and a glint shining from my dresser. That was not there before either. I got up slowly, and in messy but legible writing (and a script I recognized) stood a note.

'Don't look for me'. The item next to it though, made me feel queasy. A gold band with a simple trio of good sized diamonds.

My mother's wedding band.


	3. Chapter 3

How the hell did that get there? It was on Emily's hand when they announced her DOA. No one tried to give it back. I thought she was buried in it.

I looked back and forth between the two items. Her handwriting and my mother's ring. Was it possible that she was still alive? She had to be.

The bureau was more than capable of faking deaths but they always informed the family. I figured the team was close enough. Apparently not.

Thinking back to the me leaving the BAU, I sucked in a breath. It was Emily. The hooded figure with deep brown eyes really was the girl I hoped it to be. I huffed out a breath when I remembered she walked out of JJ's office.

JJ knew she was alive. She had to.

Now on a mission- I was determined to find the girl I had seen.

I grabbed the ring off the dresser. I had to return it to where it belonged. On the ring finger of the love of my life.


	4. Chapter 4

"Where is she?" I bounded into JJ's office. Lucky enough that no one else was in there with her. She furrowed her brow in my direction, obviously annoyed that I interrupted so rudely. At this point, I couldn't care about anything but Emily's whereabouts.

She looked me in the eye. "I'm sorry Derek. I have no idea what you are talking about." She responded coolly, with just the slightest sass.

"Emily. Where is Emily located?"

Her expression softened. The same look everyone gave me when I talked about Em. Except this time I noticed some guilt laced in there. "Derek. You know where she is at. We buried her 7 months ago."

She stood and rounded the corner of her desk so that we were standing facing each other.

"Don't JJ. Don't pull that Bullshit with me. I saw her tonight. I saw her leave your office. I know she's alive."

She looked at me pleadingly. Like she didn't want me to make her tell me. "Derek I don't know what you want me to say. She's gone. You saw a look alike. It happens to me all the time. Sometimes I swear I see her too."

I shook my head in frustration. "NO JJ! Stop with the excuses. I know it was her. She validated it herself. She left me a note." I watched as her expression changed.

"She left you a note?" I nodded. "Shit Emily. Are you trying to actually die?" She muttered.

"So you know where she is." I stated. A fact, not a question. She nodded.

"Technically, I do. But Derek, it's not like you can go and see her."

I scoffed. "That's Bullshit JJ. She's been here obviously. So she's not at a safe house. Which means whatever she went into hiding for is not a threat anymore."

"Doyle's men are still out there." She stated sternly. "If they find out she's alive, they'll use us to get to her. They know how much we mean to her. That's why she left the first time. The bureau is protecting us." She noted.

"I don't need protection- I need Emily." I gritted me teeth. "So where is she, JJ?"

Seeming to admit defeat, she sighed.

"You're not gonna like it." She mumbled.

"I don't care."

"She's in Chicago, Derek. At your mother's house."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Let me know if I should write other stories or continue with this one. Reviews are greatly appreciated by this new FF writer. (:**

Red. All I saw was red. How could she be with my family and not tell me? How could she be with my family and my family not tell me?

The next thing I knew I was on a flight to Chicago and landing in an airport. I gripped the wheel until my knuckles turned white on the way to my mother's house. Pulling in the driveway I knew I needed to compose myself.

I saw three cars for the first time in a long time in the garage. I knew Desi and Sarah moved in with Mama about three months ago when Desi had the twins and the scumbag Baby Daddy left her. I hadn't been able to see them in person yet with all the cases, and the thought of meeting them today almost made me forget totally about my anger.

But when I knocked on the door, and a fair skinned brunette opened the door with a smile, I felt my emotions go crazy. Happiness that she was alive. Anger that she had lied. Betrayal that his family hid her from him. And love knowing that I had my best friend and love of my life back.

Her smile faltered realizing who it was and she froze. Her hair was cropped shorter, a little off her shoulders. Her skin was tanner, and she looked well rested for the first time in a long time. She was wearing a simple tank and shorts showing off her slender but toned figure, indicating that she kept up with herself frequently. And hooked to her leg, was Shawna, Sarah's only child.

"Em, who's at the do-" I heard my oldest sisters voice approach us behind Emily and she noticed me.

The next few minutes I do not remember. I stared at Emily, willing myself to believe she was actually here, and that all the nightmares were just nightmares. I looked at her face, memorized her features as I was ushered inside and placed on the couch with everyone filling in around me. My mothers voice, low and cautious pulled me out of the fog.

"Derek honey, we can explain." I stopped her there, hurt pulling through my facial expression.

"She's been here. And you didn't tell me. How could you not tell me? You know ow much she means to me."

"She told us you could get hurt Derek." Desi spoke up. "We didn't want to take that chance."

Emily's clear voice rang out next to my sister's. It was the same as I remembered it to be- I closed my eyes at her voice, trying to hear it over and over.

"Ian had an army out there searching for me. I wasn't given a choice- when I woke up from the coma, the bureau had already put on my funeral. I didn't get to choose who I told. I'm so sorry Derek. I had to let you mourn. Ian was watching you. He knew how close we were. If you didn't mourn for real he would know something was up. And you would never look to your family for me because you know they would tell you." She spoke softly. Gently. Lovingly.

"But they didn't." I spat out harshly.

Sarah opened her mouth to speak but Emily beat her to it. "I wouldn't let them. I made them swear."

I sighed. And I let my anger pass through. How could I be mad at her when she was trying to protect me and my family?

I reached out hesitantly, gauging her reaction. She smiled at me and stepped forward. I tugged her into my embrace and I felt the world fall back into place. She sniffled into my chest and tears I didn't know formed, fell from my eyes onto the top of her head.

"I missed you so much." I whispered into her hair.

I felt her smile. "I missed you too."

Suddenly I remembered the object in my pocket I had grabbed. Pulling apart- I reached into my jeans and clasped the golden circle in my palm.

I looked down at her.

"When I gave this to you, and told you that you were the most important person in my life. I meant it." I said lowly looking at her intently. I grabbed her left hand. "This belongs here now. And we can talk about it when we are ready." I slid the ring onto her ring finger, and pulled her into a tight embrace again.

When I heard a chorus of "what?" and excited "excuse me's" I remembered my family was there with us.

We pulled apart and turned to face them. I latched my hand onto hers and I started to tell them the story.


End file.
